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Victor Frankenstein Foil Essay

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Victor Frankenstein Foil Essay
It is not crazy how two people who appear to be total opposites can be best friends? In literature, the person who appears the opposite of the main character is commonly known as a foil and often is used to highlight another character's defining traits. By doing so, a foil can be used to capture the essence of the main character. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein's foil is Henry Clerval. Clerval is used to illuminate the meaning of the work by showing the effects of Frankenstein's actions on his well being, emphasizing the guilt that overcomes him and displaying the reality of how awful Frankenstein's life had become.
Clerval's healthy mental and physical condition is a sharp contrast to Frankenstein's ill body and mind.
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